Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

We’ve been looking together at this passage from Colossians 3, and my real desire through has study is to show that the Gospel that we profess to love and hold dear immense application to everyday life.

This Gospel that saves is not simply an intellectual exercise, aimed at affirming facts.

It is also not merely or purely aimed at our final salvation.

It’s not that we as Christians are just like anyone else in the world, but our end is going to differ from the end of others.

And you’ll sometimes find this thinking… It’s seen sometimes in the way evangelism is done.

It’s seen in the way Christians speak about their faith… it’s really mostly about - I’ve been saved from going to hell.

Perhaps they don’t mean it quite like that, but so often the thinking is along those lines.

Furthermore, what happens in many professing Christian’s lives is that they live purely with the end goal in sight… and they try to keep themselves to kind of a moralistic pathway or trajectory so that they can make sure that their ticket to heaven is secured.

Too often, this leads to a life of legalism… although most would not see that it’s legalistic.

But really it boils down to that.

I really want this series to help us see that the Gospel should so tranform our hearts, our minds, our attitudes, our thinking, that we live each and every single day as citizens of heaven in the here and now.

That our lives are actually being lived day in and day out for the kingdom of Christ, with us being the citizens of the kingdom of Christ.

Our goal is not so much to get to heaven, as it is to grow in Christ-likeness and live for His glory each and every day.

If that is what is driving us… if our true identity in Christ is driving us and motivating us each day of our lives, I’m convinced that our manner of life, and our entire attitude towards life is going to be profoundly different to the world’s.

Profoundly.

Far too many Christians do not live profoundly distinct lives… They try to live a little better than others… But Christ has not really changed them beyond what many people can change themselves.

I don’t think that’s the goal that Christ had for His people.

He empowers and enables us for so much more…

So a good question to ask yourself as you go through life is, “what difference has Christ made in my life today....”

As we’ve slowly worked our way through this series, we’ve seen that all of this flows out of solid theological truths.

Our theology matters.

What we believe about God, about Christ, about man, about the work that Christ did, and why He did it… all of this matters!

It matters profoundly!!

But it’s not all that matters.

In other words, theology is not merely intellectual.

It’s not merely head knowledge; knowing facts about God or Jesus....

These facts and truths must be taken to heart, truly believed within ourselves, and then applied to everyday life.

That’s what we’re seeking to do.

I can’t go over all the ground that we’ve covered so far, but let me just remind you that we’ve most recently been considering that we are to put off the old manner of life; that we’re then to be renewed in our thinking… in our minds in terms of how and what we think; and then we are to put on, clothe ourselves with Christ.

Last time we were in this series, we looked at Colossians 3:11-14, in terms of some of those things that we are to put on as Christians.

We began to consider what some of the marks of a true disciple of Jesus are.

Today we will pick up on that, and we’re going to focus on a further two aspects or qualities or marks of a Christian.

A further two things that are to be characterizing the Christian in light of the powerful and transformative work of the Gospel.

We’re only going to be looking at verse 15 this evening, and we’ll note two qualities or characteristics that mark the Christian...

1. Ruled by Peace (v.15a)

We read in verse 15 of our passage...

Colossians 3:15 (NIV84)

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace....

One of the key qualities of the Christian once they have come to understand the Gospel of Christ and the purposes of God is that they are marked by a deep sense of inner peace.

As we consider this quality, there are four things that I want to point out from our passage regarding this peace that is to mark our lives.

1.1.

The Source of Peace

It is the "peace of Christ."

The only way to have genuine peace, the only source of genuine peace, is Christ.

When we say this, we need to understand that the peace that is given flows out of the work that Christ has done on our behalf.

Let me try to bring some clarity in this.

We need to recognise that the lack of peace in life is a consequence of sin, separation from God - Genesis 3.

That was the cause and initiator of a lack of peace.

At the moment when Adam and Eve sinned against God, hostility, enmity entered into the relationship between man and God.

Man has not been created to live apart from God.

Neither can he.

When sin entered the world, man’s enmity with God led to enmity with men.

Self became the new ruler.

The Gospel addresses that issue.

Notice how Paul has already outlined this in this very letter…

Later on in this letter, Paul wrote....

The Gospel message brings reconciliation between God and man.

It precisely because of the work that Christ did on the cross that man is able to be brought into a peace-filled relationship with the eternal God.

Beyond that, however, the Gospel leads to peace in inter-personal relationships.

This is so critical for us.

Even the most strained of relationships, when properly rooted and grounded in Gospel hope, ought to produce peace in relationships.

The work of the Gospel, based on what God did in Jesus Christ, leads to a deep peace of heart.

It creates a peace between man and God, which inevitably leads to a peace between man and man.

The antidote for a troubled heart is the peace of Christ ruling that heart.

I would suggest to you that unless we are ruled by the peace of Christ in this world, we will not be able to be at peace with those around us.

We need to understand that peace comes from God, and it begins with a right relationship with God.

Let us consider this in terms of the Old Testament teaching.

It is the Lord that gives us peace, and there is no other source of peace.

In other words, the peace of the Psalmist was rooted in the character of God, in knowing God.

He was able to trust God, and thus was at peace.

Again, this peace is a gift from God, but it is rooted in and flows out of a knowledge of God and a trust placed in God.

When we come to the New Testament, the work of Christ that was done, we find that through the work done in Christ’s death and resurrection, is that place where ultimate peace may be gained.

It is through the cross that we see the extent of the mercies and grace of God.

It’s at the cross where we find the love of God, and the faithfulness of God being shown forth in all is granduer.

As we look to that, and believe in that, and trust in God through our true belief in all that the Gospel conveys, we will be granted by God this deep sense of peace.

Dear friends, the peace can only come from God through Christ as we trust in Him.

We need to have a deep trust in the person, the character and the promises of God, as most perfectly demonstrated through Christ.

Next, very briefly, we should consider...

1.2.

The Place of Peace

Peace is to be in our hearts.

It is to rule our hearts.

In other words, the dominating state of being of the heart is that of peacefulness.

Paul uses the same picture of peace in the heart in Philippians 4:7, where he is speaking within the context of anxiety.

The heart is the wellspring of life.

The heart, as we know, represents the core of a person’s being.

Their person which is represented in their actions.

Our actions and responses to life flow out of our hearts.

In other words, our actions and responses to life are to be marked by peace-filled responses, rather than anxious, worrying responses.

Again this is all rooted in the true knowledge of the God we serve, as pictured most fully in Christ’s work on our behalf.

We need to ask ourselves, practically speaking, if our hearts are ruled by peace?

Are our responses to life’s circumstances ruled by peace?

Notice thirdly in this regard…

1.3.

The Outworking of Peace

This continues on from the first main point, and that is the relational dimension of peace.

That peace of God is to be evidenced through our interactions with others.

Are our interactions with one another marked by and characterised by peace.

Notice how Paul brings this out in verse 15....

Colossians 3:15 (NIV84)

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

In other words, this is where that peace of Christ is to be worked.